Sir, - Congratulations on your excellent editorial (January 26th). While the merits or otherwise of all the TDs appearing on The Late Late Show is questionable, the second part of your article highlighted the sorry state of Government in this country.
I have every sympathy for the Minister for Justice, Ms Owen. She was not in the job a wet week when her plans were brushed aside by the Labour Party who made it clear who was running the show.
The magnanimous Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, himself a member of the Labour Party, showed his contempt for the elderly and vulnerable members of society by his tax allowance for alarms. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard a listener giving out to the Minister on RTE about his allowance. The Minister replied: "Would you like me to take it back?" Say no more.
The horrific murders and crimes taking place around the country and especially in the West of Ireland against the elderly and vulnerable members of society demand that decisive action be taken, and that sufficient resources be made available for this purpose. Perhaps our esteemed Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, who managed to get so much money for his Telefis and the Arts in the West could try and catch the voters attention in a blaze of publicity by getting similar resources to help protect the elderly and vulnerable members of society. But then is he not also a member of the Labour Party?
I guess at the end of the day, one has to face the facts as any Labour Party politician obviously knows, what's a few old dead people when it comes to getting votes.
Until Fine Gael gets its finger out and establishes its authority and morality on this government could you and Kevin Myers keep up the good work. - Yours, etc.,
Hollypark Avenue,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.